A Struggle for a Ring — page 242: what you’re looking at

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238 “HE 1S MY. HUSBAND.” human probability she had done her own cause more harm | than good. It was too late to undo it now; she must live it through, let it be what it might. Oh, if Heaven would but help her! The only wish just at that moment in her heart was that she could turn her face to the wall and die —die, even though he would be there in a few hours, and she had the hope of seeing him again. There was a knock at her room door; she opened it with trembling hands. There stood Lady Ethel, light and beautiful as the morning, looking up at her with a per- suasive smile; then drawing back as she saw the white, weary pain on the girl’s face. ‘‘You are ill, Miss Derwent,” she said, ‘‘I am sure— ~you look so pale and strange. Can I do anything for you?” | Ze | ‘‘No, I thank you, Lady Ethel. I am not in the least il]. Ihave a strange kind of pain at times that wearies me -very much. Do you want me, Lady Ethel ?” Ves, I did, but lam ashamed; I do not like troubling you when you look so—so bad.” ‘We will forget my looks,” said Alice, a faint smile quivering over her lips. ‘‘I shall be only too pleased, Lady Ethel, if I can be of any use to you.” ‘‘IT wanted to ask you a favor,” said Lady Ethel; ‘I saw you the other evening make up lovely, artistic little _ bouquets of crimson roses and green ferns. Now, I have _a fancy for looking my best to-night—my very best—and I want the same for my ornaments; I want a wreath of small, crimson roses and lovely, drooping ferns for my head. I shall see some one to-night who loves roses, and want my dress—which is of white lace—fastened up with crimson roses and ferns; it will look very beautiful, will it not?” } | Gomicbooks.co Es !